Amphibious camper

ABSTRACT

An amphibious type of camper includes a raft on which a camper body is removably attached and flotation pontoons are attached to the side of the raft. The pontoons are so attached that they can be readily swung from operative positions at the sides of the raft to retracted positions over the raft for storage purposes when it is necessary to transport it over a highway, such as on a truck trailer.

United States Patent Shaw 14 1 Apr. 25, 1972 [541 AMPHIBIOUS CAMPER [56]Reierences Cited [72] inventor: Robert H. Shaw, 131 Oakwood Lane, NITEDST TES PATENTS 3,308,782 3/1967 Dahl ..115/1 R 22 i 10, 1970 3,414,91612/1968 Martin et al ..9/1 T [21] PP 12,935 Primary Examiner-MiltonBuchier Assistant Examiner-F. K. Yee

RClllQd lhS Application A'torney Birch [63] Continuation-impart of Ser.No. 733,711, May. 31,

i968, abandoned. [571 ABSTRACT An amphibious type of camper includes araft on which a y [52] U.S. CI. ..9/1 R, 296/23 MC cam grbodyiisremovqbly attached and flotation pontoons [5 1] Int. Cl. ..B63b 35/00are attached to the side of the raft. The pontoons are so at- [58] Fieldof Search ..9/1 T, 1 R, l l; 1 14/61, 0.5 R, tached that they can bereadily swung from operative positions ii4/0.5 F, 66.5 F; 296/23 B, 23MC; 115/1 B, l R

at the sides of the raft to retracted positions over the raft forstorage purposes when it is necessary to transport it over a highway,such as on a truck trailer.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 3 857,751 SHEET 10? 3 PATENTEDAPR 2 5 1972FlG.l.

, INVENTOR ROBERT H. SHAW BY ATTORNEY PATENTEUAPR 25 1912 i 3.657, 751

sum 2 OF 3 POSlTlON O 2 s 1,?

2 s POSITION a POSITION A I INVENTOR ROBERT H. SHAW ATTORNEY PATENTEDAPR25 I972 SHEET 3 GF 3 INVENTOR ROBERT H. SHAW BY ATTORNEY AMPHIBIOUSCAMPER This is a continuation-in-part of copending application for U.S.Pat. No. 733,7l l, filed May 31, 1968, now abandoned.

This invention relates to campers and it is more particularly concernedwith an amphibious type of camper.

An object of the invention is the provision of a demountable camperwhich can be carried on a conventional pick-up truck,

and selectively removed from the truck for floating it on a body ofwater.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an amphibious campersecured to a raft having pontoons for floating the raft and means forselectively positioning the pontoons in operative and non-operativepositions while they are attached to the raft.

A further object is the provision of an amphibious camper which can beused on land or water and which is readily converted from one such useto the other.

Amphibious carriers of the prior art require a dismantling of theflotation pontoons from their operative positions to their storagepositions, in order to permit the device to becarried on a highwayvehicle. In other types of amphibious carriers, the pontoons are fixedto a floating deck. Such devices are cumbersome and difficult tomaneuver and present some difficulty in traveling on the highways. Thepresent invention obviates these difficulties. 1

These and still further objects, advantages and features of theinvention will appear more fully from the following description,considered together with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention with thepontoons in flotation position, sidedeck removed.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the linkage for moving one of thepontoons from its flotation position to its storage posi- 1101'].

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a fragmentary portion ofthe embodimentillustrating the means for supporting the removable side deck.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion, partly insection, of the clutch means in engaged position.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, with the clutch in disengagedposition.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing in which like numeralsdesignate like parts, the embodiment illustrated comprises a generallyconventional type of camper body 11 removably mounted on a raft 12 inany conventional manner and by any conventional means (not shown).

The raft 12 is mounted on tubular longitudinal frame members 13 whichare directly connected to fore and aft tubular cross members 14 and by alinkage, hereinafter described, to middle tubular member 15.Longitudinal inverted T shaped rails 16 and 17 are secured, such as bywelding, to the top of the frame members 13 in spaced relation. The deckof the raft 12 has a forward portion 18 and a rearward portion 19disposed on and carried by the inner horizontal portions 20 and 21 ofthe rail members 16 and 17 in longitudinal spaced relation.

A sleeve is connected to the middle saddle 29 and it is slidably engagedwith a shaft 31 shorter than the corresponding shafts 23 of the fore andaft saddles 27. The outer end of tubular member 15 engages the inner endof the shaft 31 and they are secured together by a pin 32. The aft endof the tubular member 15 is provided with an upwardly 'ofl'set arm 33which is secured to one part 34 of a two part clutch. Both clutch parts34 and35 are rotatable on a longitudinal frame member 13 between therails 16 and 17. Adjacent ends of the clutch parts 34 and 35 areprovided with meshable teeth 36 and 37, respectively. The clutch-part 35is connected to one end of an arm 38 the other end being connected tothe push bar 39 extending from one end of a hydraulic jack 40. The otherend of the jack40 is provided with a hole 41 for attaching it in a fixedposition to bracket 41A on the raft.

By these means actuation of the hydraulic jack 40 will tend to pivot thearm 38 from its initial position A (see FIG. 2) upwardly as shown inposition B of FIG. 2 through the clutch, whereby the clutch is thenreset by further extension of push bar 39 for a further movement of thearm 38 to position C which is the final storage position of the pontoon.

When the arm 38 is in its initial position, a bar 42 is disposed in theinner ends of the members 15 and secured by a removable pin 15A to holdthem in fixed position. This bar is removed 1 when it is desired to movethe pontoons to their storage posi- The camper body 11 has conventionalrecesses 22 to fit a transportation is separated from the camper bodyand maybe mounted in a conventional manner on a trailer (not shown)attached to the truck.

The fore and aft tubular cross members 14 are each provided with anextension shaft 23 which .are releasibly connected together by means ofa pin 24. The shaft 23 extends outwardly from the end of the crossmember 14 and carries a tubular sleeve 25 to which it is releasiblyconnected by a pin 26. A saddle 27 is secured to the bottom of eachsleeve 25. The saddle 27 is attached directly to one of the pontoons 28.A middle saddle 29 on each side is attached in vertical aligntions.

A pin 43 secures the part 34 of the clutch in selected fixed positionsrelative to the member 13 through apertures 43A and 43B. v

The two parts of the clutch are provided with shoulders 44 and 45 andshoulder stops 46 and 47 for limiting the movement of these parts on themember 13.

In normal flotation position, as shown in FIG. 1, the pontoons 28 aresecured by means of the shafts 23 and 31 extending through the sleeves25 and 30 and into the members 14 and 15, the middle members 15 beingheld in place by the stabilizing bar 42.

When it is desired to move the pontoons to their storage positions, thebar 42 and shafts 23 are removed leaving each pontoon suspended by themiddle saddle 29 at its center of gravity. The jack 40 is then actuatedto bring the pontoons first to their intermediate positions shown inFIG. 2, position B. The clutch is thenreset by sliding clutch part 35longitudinally on member 13 sufficient to disengage teeth 36 and 37,reposition arm 38, and reposition clutch 35 to reengage the teeth byengaging the teeth 36 and 37 and the jack 40 is again actuated to bringthe pontoons to the position shown in FIG. 2, position C.

' The shafts 23 and 31 extend outwardly beyond their correspondingsleeves 25 and 30 to receive each a horizontal tubular member 48 towhich stanchions 49 are secured. An angle member 50 is secured to thestanchions 49 level with the frame members 16 and 17, whereupon a sidedeck 51 may be disposed between and supported on the ledges 52 and 53 ofthe members 16, 17 and 50, respectively, as an extension of the deck ofthe raft see FIGS. 2 and 3.

A pair of conventional jack brackets (54 and 55) may be secured to eightside of the camper body 11 for supporting it on conventional jacks (notshown) when it is desired to emplace the camper body on the raft or toremove the camper body from the raft. Such jack brackets should belongitudinally spaced on either side a distance less than the distancebetween shafts 23 and 31.

Iclaim:

l. A device of the character described comprising a raft, said rafthaving longitudinal frame members, flotation pontoons on eitherlongitudinal side of the raft, means for supporting the pontoons on andconnecting them to the said frame members of the raft in flotationposition below the raft and for retracting the pontoons while connectedto the raft frame members to storage position above the raft andinwardly from the edges of its longitudinal sides, each pontoon mentwith the center of gravity of the pontoons, respectively. being securedto a group of longitudinally spaced saddles, one

of said saddles being a center saddle connected to said means forsupporting said pontoons and connecting them to the said frame membersof the raft, in substantially vertical alignment with the center ofgravity of the pontoon, the retracting means being connected exclusivelyto the center saddle through said first named means, and means forreleasibly attaching the remaining saddles to the pontoon and the saidlongitudinal frame members.

2. A device of the character described comprising a longitudinal rafi,flotation pontoons on either longitudinal side of the raft, means forsupporting the pontoons on and connecting them to the raft in flotationposition below the raft and for retracting the pontoons while connectedto the raft to storage positions above the raft and inwardly from theedges of its longitudinal sides, said raft comprising transverse tubularframe members, each pontoon having a group of spaced saddles, a tubularstrut secured to each saddle in axial alignment with a transversetubular frame member and a bar for releasably contion below the raft andfor retracting the pontoonswhile connected to the raft to storagepositions above the raft and inwardly from the edges of its longitudinalsides, said tubular struts are relatively short and are pivoted to thesaid frame members of the raft and have their open inner'ends normallyfacing each other, and a rigid bar adapted to be inserted in saidnormally facing ends to resist pivotal movement of the tubular struts.

4. A device of the character described comprising a longitudinal rafthaving spaced transverse frame members, flotation pontoons on eitherlongitudinal side of the raft, means for supporting the pontoons on andconnecting them to the raft in flotation position below the raft and forretracting the pontoons while connected to the raft to storage positionsabove the raft and inwardly from the edges of its longitudinal sides,the pontoons being rotatable between their flotation positions and theirstorage positions, releasable means for limiting and arresting therotation of the pontoons at their flotation positions, the meanscomprising a pivoted arm, a two part clutch,

one part of the clutch being connected to the arm and the other partbeing connected to an intermediate one of said transverse frame members,and hydraulic means for applying thrust to the pivoted arrn.

i l t

1. A device of the character described comprising a raft, said rafthaving longitudinal frame members, flotation pontoons on eitherlongitudinal side of the raft, means for supporting the pontoons on andconnecting them to the said frame members of the raft in flotationposition below the raft and for retracting the pontoons while connectedto the raft frame members to storage position above the raft andinwardly from the edges of its longitudinal sides, each pontoon beingsecured to a group of longitudinally spaced saddles, one of said saddlesbeing a center saddle connected to said means for supporting saidpontoons and connecting them to the said frame members of the raft, insubstantially vertical alignment with the center of gravity of thepontoon, the retracting means being connected exclusively to the centersaddle through said first named means, and means for releasiblyattaching the remaining saddles to the pontoon and the said longitudinalframe members.
 2. A device of the character described comprising alongitudinal raft, flotation pontoons on either longitudinal side of theraft, means for supporting the pontoons on and connecting them to theraft in flotation position below the raft and for retracting thepontoons while connected to the raft to storage positions above the raftand inwardly from the edges of its longitudinal sides, said raftcomprising transverse tubular frame members, each pontoon having a groupof spaced saddles, a tubular strut secured to each saddle in axialalignment with a transverse tubular frame member and a bar forreleasably connecting each tubular strut with its corresponding tubularframe member.
 3. A device of the character described comprising alongitudinal raft, flotation pontoons on either longitudinal side of theraft, said raft having longitudinal frame members, means includingtubular struts and a pair of saddles for supporting the pontoons on andconnecting them to the raft in flotation position below the raft and forretracting the pontoons while connected to the raft to storage positionsabove the raft and inwardly from the edges of its longitudinal sides,said tubular struts are relatively short and are pivoted to the saidframe members of the raft and have their open inner ends normally facingeach other, and a rigid bar adapted to be inserted in said normallyfacing ends to resist pivotal movement of the tubular struts.
 4. Adevice of the character described comprising a longitudinal raft havingspaced transverse frame members, flotation pontoons on eitherlongitudinal side of the raft, means for supporting the pontoons on andconnecting them to the raft in flotation position below the raft and forretracting the pontoons while connected to the raft to storage positionsabove the raft and inwardly from the edges of its longitudinal sides,the pontoons being rotatable between their flotation positions and theirstorage positions, releasable means for limiting and arresting therotation of the pontoons at their flotation positions, the meanscomprising a pivoted arm, a two part clutch, one part of the clutchbeing connected to the arm and the other part being connected to anintermediate one of said transverse frame members, and hydraulic meansfor applying thrust to the pivoted arm.